


Try Again

by Sassy_Writer



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, F/M, Homophobic Language, Implied/Referenced Abuse, M/M, R plus L equals J, Reincarnation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-30
Updated: 2017-04-30
Packaged: 2018-10-25 12:18:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10764132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sassy_Writer/pseuds/Sassy_Writer
Summary: When you die, you move on. That's how it works and everyone knows that. But sometimes life gives you a second chance. When someone experiences a death so awful or a life so painful, that someone is given a second chance. The Starks and their loved ones may just be given that chance. A thousand years after Westeros and a world entirely different from the one they knew, they can try to live a life they always wanted and never knew.





	Try Again

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my first GoT fanfic and it's just a little one shot. It all started because I wanted to do a Throbb second chance fic and then I figured all the Starks deserved that. I'm not super thrilled with the third section of this but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless.  
> Just a heads up, I have an idea that after you die in Westeros you are able to watch over the ones you love until your soul finds peace. So for Ned and Catelyn, they would likely watch until all their children are either dead or safe, and for everyone else it would be until their partner and siblings have joined them. And italics are memories returning.
> 
> Warnings: The homophobic language is very brief and the person is shut down fast, and the abuse isn't explicit and only ever referenced which is why I only listed it as a T rating.

**1\. The Eldest**

   One of the worst things about Westly Prep is that it held students all the way from kindergarten to 12th grade. With that many students, tension was bound to run wild. Theo watched regretfully as senior Ramsey pushed around a little boy, no older than ten. Being only a sophomore himself, and still in the lanky age, Theo usually ignored anything that could draw attention to him. Unfortunately, for some reason watching this kid get pushed around caused him to feel and inexplicable urge to stand up for the boy. As if he owed this ten year old kid something. Before he even registered what he was doing, Theo tapped Ramsey on the shoulder.

"Aren't you a little old to be harassing children?" He asked in his most condescending voice. Ramsey watched him with a look of glee on his face.

"And who are you?"

"Theo."

"Hmm...I don't like that name. Let's call you Wretch, because only a little wretch would try to stop me from having fun." Ramsey laughed and Theo swallowed his fear, looking at the hope in the young boy's eyes to steel himself.

"Well better a wretch than a bastard. Only a bastard picks on a boy 3 sizes smaller than him" Ramsey's face twisted menacingly and his arm flew. Theo flinched and waited for a pain that never came. Theo looked up into the eyes of a blue eyed senior with blazing red hair. Said senior had his arm outstretched and Ramsey's fist caught mid punch.

...

_Theon is eleven years old and his cockiness is failing him in the sight of the hedge knight standing over him._

_"You think you're so great being heir of the Iron Islands. You're nothing but the hostage son of a traitorous bastard." The knight spits in his face. Theon tries to raise some righteous anger at that but before he can say anything another voice, one even younger than his, speaks from behind them._

_"And you are no knight, to harm a young man so viciously. Theon is a ward of house Stark, and should I hear word of anything of the like happening again, I will make sure you are punished myself."_

_..._

That same voice now spoke again drawing Theon back to the present, relishing in the deep timber of a young man rather than a child.

"I'll give you 5 seconds to run Snow." The threat painfully obvious. Ramsey glared back at Robert Storm.

"And why would I do that, Storm?"

"Because I died too quickly last time, and my wolf is out for blood." Ramsey paled incredibly at the word  _wolf_  and took off running. The little boy from earlier grabbed onto Rob's legs, and Theon blanched.

_Gods, that's Brandon and Robb Stark._

"You OK, Bran?" The boy nodded.

"He helped me." Brandon said and pointed at Theon. Robb turned a smile onto Theon.

"Thank you. Ramsey's a bully and I appreciate you standing up for my brother."  _I can't let him be friends with me. I ruined his life last time, and Others, the boys too._

"It was nothing. Ramsey and I have history. I was just looking for a time to teach him." He said drawing on the arrogance of his past life. Robb looked at him for a moment before inclining his head. Bran pulled on his leg.

"Can Theo come over. You need more friends and he just saved me." Robb laughed, and cocked an eyebrow at Theon.

"No, I can't. I've got to get...home." He hid a wince at that. Not like he really had a home, but he couldn't accept their invitation.

"Very well. We'll see you around." School was technically out and if he was fast enough, he may be able to beat his father home.

Thirty minutes later found him holding an ice pack to his cheek and slamming his door before his father could follow him up. He pulled the ice pack away and folded in on himself in the corner.

"Is this my penance?! I don't think it's even bad enough for all I did." He said to the empty room, eyes downcast. He forgot to shut the window this morning and the wind was blowing soundly.

"At first I thought you really didn't remember, then I realized you're just an idiot." Theon's head jerked up as he spotted the red head casually leaning against the window frame.

"Robb." He whispered.

"Now I don't remember introducing myself." He said with a smirk. Suddenly his eyes went dark as they flashed to the dark bruise forming on his cheek. With three large strides, he crossed the room and grabbed Theon's cheek with a gentleness that contrasted the anger in his eyes.

"Who did this?"

"N-no one." He stuttered.

"I know Ramsey didn't get that hit in, so who. Did. This?" Theon's eyes briefly flashed to the door and Robb's eyes darkened even further.

"Your father." It's not a question.

'I deserve it." Theon said miserably and Robb pulled his face up to look in his eyes.

"No, you don't. I know I died before Snow happened, but we all could still watch from the afterlife. It was supposed to be a relief to be able to watch those you loved from beyond, but it was absolute torture watching Snow and not being able to stop him from hurting you, and later Sansa. You never killed my brothers, you never burned Winterfell, and you only came after it because your father is an unforgivable bastard. You never deserved even an inkling of what the Dreadfort caused." Theon let out a sob and Robb pulled him gently against his chest. He kissed the side of his head and carded his fingers through the man's curls. Theon gripped his shirt tightly and moved his hand up to feel the steady beating of Robb's heart. Time stood still as they stayed in that position soaking each other up.

It was in that intimate position that Bryan Grey slammed open his son's door to. Theon startled out of Robb's arms while his father glared murderously at the pair, and Robb strategically placed himself in between the two.

"Figures I'd have a  _fag_ for a son. You're gonna regret the day you chose to be such a disappointment boy!" Before the man could take a step closer, Robb was in his face.

"Count yourself lucky that we never met before. I would love nothing better than to kill you here and now for everything you've put him through. But I won't because you're hardly worth the dust of my boots. Theon and I are going now. Don't worry, we'll have his stuff cleared out of here by the end of the week and you won't see either of us again." Robb pulled Theon to the window, and he climbed out automatically while Robb glared murderously at his father. It wasn't until they were three blocks down that everything caught up to Theon.

"Oh God. He's going to actually kill me."

"No he won't, because you're never going back there. You'll come home with me." Theon gave Robb a look so reminiscent of the past that screamed  _you're an idiot._

"Yes, I'll go back to the home of the only real father I ever had whom I betrayed and allowed his land to burn." He said sarcastically.

"No, you'll go home to the father you always had who saw the pain you went through with Snow, and while it took a while, him and my mother did eventually forgive you when they saw you never did the worst that you were accused of, and you saved Sansa. Please trust me. Plus Bran's been going on nonstop about the young man who helped him today." 

"Fine. Let's go." Robb showed him to his car and gladly drove them back to the Storm's house. Upon opening the door the two were assaulted by a ten year old.

"Told you he would be a good friend for you Rob." Bran said after hugging the two older boys. Theon looked around the living room. Sansa glanced up briefly before returning to her book. Arya and Rickon watched him disinterestedly, and Ned and Catelyn Stark entered from the backyard. Catelyn did a double take at the large bruise forming on Theon's cheek.

"Brandon, I thought you said the bully never got a hit in?"

"He didn't!" The boy confirmed. His mother looked back at her eldest as he clenched his jaw.

"Theon's staying here now." He said determinedly. Catelyn and Ned exchanged a look before they nodded their consent and Robb directed Theon upstairs.

"We'll be sharing my room. I'll go by and pick up some of your clothes tomorrow, and in the meantime we can either stay in here or we can go to the living room." Theon glanced around the room.

"Can we just stay here for a bit?"

"Of course." The two settled on the bed. Robb with his back against the wall, a book in one hand, his fingers carding through Theon's hair with the other. Theon lay with his head in Robb's lap and leaned a sketchbook against his knees sketching the picture he saw reflected in the mirror in front of him.

 

**2\. The Warrior**

   At fifteen Ashley Storm was already the champion with the epee for the Knights of Westly Prep fencing team. Jeffrey, still sulking from losing his last match to her, was at the receiving end of one of her frosty glares. Last year he dated her sister Sara until they found out he was an abusive asshole and scared him off. Unfortunately, he knew what he was doing and they were unable to find any substantial evidence to get him in legal trouble for his abuse. Ashley instead took great pleasure in beating his ass into the mat every time they dueled.

"...and then I said 'Oh yes, please take me to the strip club, I've got nothing better to do on a Saturday.'"

Ash shot around to look at Gideon as his voice filtered back in. He raised an eyebrow at her, unimpressed at being ignored.

"You gonna continue glaring at Jeffrey until he actually dissolves into a puddle of goo?"

"If only." She said with a sigh. She looked over his shoulder at the doors and suddenly her breath stilled.

...

_Arya is fifteen and finally facing the woman who stole everything from her. Standing in front of her is a regal blond woman, hair shorn short, sword held aloft, and black garments oozing wickedness. She's come all this way, survived so long, and now she is going to get cut down by this evil queen all because she was stupid enough to let her sword get knocked away. The sword comes down, but suddenly a mop of black hair enters her vision. She cries out as the sword pierces her human shield and the queen steals one more person from her._

...

"...Ashley!"

Her mind snapped back to the present and Gendry was whole once more. No sword sticking out of his gut, no blood dripping out of his mouth, no eyes glazed over in pain. And behind him, Cecelia Bland stood with long blond hair and a modern pinstripe suit, staring blandly at the pair. Her gaze moved past them and she strode towards Jeffrey, greeting her son. Arya turned back to her friend.

"Gendry." She whispered and he stared widely at her.

"I was wondering when you would finally remember Ary." She looked at him with wideblown eyes.

"You? When?" He smiled.

"You were thirteen, youngest member to join the Knights and yet you tossed a boy two sizes larger than you onto the mat and held your epee above him like so many times before."

"Two years. You've remembered for two years?"

"You're a hard woman to forget Arya Stark. What sparked your memory?" Arya's eyes flashed towards Cecelia.

"Cersei. Of course." He said with a wry smile. Arya shook her head.

"What age am I Gendry?"

"Fifteen." He said with a confused frown.

"And what happened the last time I was this age." He paused in consideration for a moment. She knew the moment everything connected by the brief flash of pain in his eyes.

"Oh."

"Yeah. You made me give up my revenge you jerk." SHe said while shoving his arm before pulling him into a tight hug. Her voice cracked on the last word and Gendry held her tight.

"I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you but why stop then? You've never given up before."

"Because you were it. I lost my father, my mother, my brothers, and through all of that you were there. Even when you stayed with the brotherhood, I still knew you were out there somewhere. And you were safe, but then you died. All because I wanted to be the one who carved out Cersei's heart and watch the light leave her eyes. In the end all I could do was hold you as you bled out, and watch as Jamie finally ended his wretch of a sister. After that I wasn't going to risk the remainder of my safe family for anyone else I wanted dead when the last time I did that, you winded up dead." By the end she had pulled out of his arms but refused to look him in the eyes. Gendry grabbed her shoulder.

"I can't say I'm sorry you finally stopped. You scared me half to death every time you spoke of your list. You're strong and smart, but you're just one girl and they usually had whole armies at their command. I'm sorry I died, but I'm not sorry if my death saved you from yours." She glared back defiantly.

"Well I am. I was a broken little girl whose only purpose was vengeance. You were supposed to live and become king, and find a pretty wife to marry and save Westeros."

"I'm sorry to tell you, but I never had any intention of being king. Until the red witch came along, I never even knew who my father was. I was perfectly happy being a blacksmith."

"Then you should have become the best blacksmith in all of Westeros. People would come from all of the seven kingdoms to buy your wares."

"Enough Arya. Yes, it would have been nice if I hadn't died a brutal death by the Mad Queen, but I did, and I've had two years to come to terms with it. I'd like to move on with you now, if you don't mind." He said, holding out his hand.

"I suppose next to revenge, showing the Lannisters that our family is doing more than ok this lifetime around is the best way to beat them." She grabbed his hand with a smile. The two left the gym in hand, Arya only glanced back once to cast a pain promising grin to the wicked family across the floor.

 

**3\. The Survivors**

   Sara tapped along to the music on the radio as her cousin John drove towards downtown. They had been visiting her family in Blackforest for the weekend but Margaret and Yvonne demanded they return to the city on Sunday to celebrate their anniversaries with a double date. Margaret had already texted Sara and told her they were at the cafe waiting on the cousins. They were not ten minutes out from the cafe they're meeting at when the music was suddenly interrupted.

"We are interrupting the current music to bring a warning to all those travelling downtown. A faulty gas line has been reported off 16th and Broadway. A few of the shops along Broadway have already reported small explosions and citizens are urged to start evacuating from within a two block radius. We will keep you updated as we learn more."

The music cut back in, and the car pulled off the road as John's vision cut black briefly.

...

_There is smoke in the air and the ground is littered with his fallen brothers. Arrows are flying, parts of the wall have crumbled, and the wildlings are everywhere. But all Jon can do is hold the fiery red head in his arms as she breathes her last. She's right, they should have never left that cave._

...

Sara stared blankly at the radio as her mind processed that her girlfriend was waiting in a cafe along the same street as the one that currently had buildings exploding, even if they were small.

...

_Sansa and Jon are sitting in her old room. Neither of them really like being alone these days, and the peace they have now they know will be short lived. Soo, news will come from the South on what the Lannisters are up to and the White Walkers are hells bent on passing the wall and annihilating all living humans. So for now they will relax here, Sansa attempting to find joy in needlework again, and Jon reading scrolls that aren't about White Walkers or battle strategies._

_A knock on the door draws their attention to the front. Lady Brienne steps into the threshold and looks to Sansa._

_"My Lady, I'm incredibly sorry but I think you should read this." She holds out a letter, which upon closer inspection holds the Lannister seal._

Brienne,

     Whispers say that the Starks have retaken Winterfell. I pray that is the truth and that this letter finds you in good health. I'm deeply troubled to tell you of what has transpired in the capital since Riverrun. I dare not write too much in case this is intercepted, but things are dire. My sister has blown the Sept, along with half the lower town. Queen Margaery was killed in the explosion...

 _There is more to the letter, dictating Tommen's suicide and Cersei's coronation, but Sansa is stuck on that last line. She's sure that, just like everyone else in King's Landing, Margaery wanted something out of her other than friendship. But out of everyone who manipulated her, she was the only one who Sansa believes genuinely cared for her beneath what she wanted. She re-reads the line again._ Even someone as cunning as Margaery isn't safe in King's Landing _, she thinks bitterly._

...

Sansa came back to herself in the present, hearing Jon's harsh breathing from beside her. Looking at him, she could see the tears on her face matching his. Without a word, she whipped out her cell and pulled up Marg's number. The dialling tone rang and she held her breath as Jon started the car back up.

"Come on, please answer, Marg."

"Sara, what's up?" Sansa breathed a sigh of relief at her girlfriend's answering voice.

"You're ok?"

"Of course I'm ok. Sorry, I had to go back to the car for my phone, but I'm headed to the cafe now."

"No! No, you and Yvonne need to get away from there." A pause on the end, but the sound of walking continued.

"Yvonne started to come with me, but she returned before me in case you beat us there while I was grabbing my phone." Sansa looked at Jon with worr and put her phone on speaker so he could listen in.

"Ok Marg, Please walk to the cafe until you find Yvonne, but as soon as you have her, I want you both to run as fast as you can away from Broadway and 16th."

"Why? What's going-" Her voice stopped suddenly, and Sansa could hear a small explosion in the background. The silence on the other side was stiffening.

"Marg? What's going on? Marg? Margaery?!" Just like that the voice on the other end responded.

"Sansa?" Her girlfriend whispered.

"You remember?" She asked, half afraid of the answer.

"Apparently watching a small explosion is strong enough to spark a memory of the wild fire and the Sept." Sansa's breath hitched. She wanted to say more but a sudden look from Jon had her rethinking.

"It is a blessing that this explosion did not end the same as last, but do you see Yvonne anywhere?" A pause as Margaery looked around.

"I found her." The sound of footsteps running echoed through the line.

"I see you found your phone." Was faintly heard from the other side, and Jon's death grip on the steering wheel lightened. The sounds on the other end sparked suddenly, and Sansa could guess that Margaery had just put it on speaker.

"And you seem to have gotten yourself in trouble without me."

"It's just a little shrapnel."

"What?!" Jon spoke for the first time.

"You know nothin' John. It's just a small piece stuck in my leg. Hardly a mortal wound, and not the worst I've had either."

"Not the-" He cut himself off and sighed. "You remember, don't you?"

"Finally caught up with the rest of us, have you Snow?" Jon openly laughed at that, as he parked the car on the side and the cousins hopped out.

"Sorry I took so long." They rushed their way through the crowded streets, against the stream of people, until they neared where they presumed their girls would be. Finally they spotted a flash of red hair and followed it. Ygritte was sitting against a tree, looking for all the world as if she didn't have a piece of metal sticking out of her leg. Margaery stood next to her and Sansa could see now that she was looking at the phone worriedly, and then realized that they were still talking through the phone.

"...ansa? Are you guys alright?"

"We're alright." She said through the speaker before closing the phone, and walking closer to the other women.

"And it's good to see both of you whole." The women looked to the two newcomers.

"It's good to see you happy." Margaery said to her girlfriend, and was rewarded with a dazzling smile.

"Well, I would be happy if we had a fire so I could pull this out and burn the wound shut." Ygritte said gesturing to her leg.

"You can wait for the paramedics." Jon argued. Ygritte huffed but stayed silent. With Ygritte leaning on Jon to keep the weight off her leg, the quartet moved a safe distance from the gas leak and found the paramedics waiting. They waited for around thirty minutes until the emergency patients were taken care of. Finally, a young girl came over and pulled the shrapnel out, stitched up the wound, and loaded Ygritte into a van headed to the hospital. Jon got in with her, and Sansa and Margaery returned to Marg's apartment, after confirming that Ygritte was in no danger.

The two couples went their separate ways, and after such an eventful morning, enjoyed the peacefulness that the quiet hospital room and apartment purveyed.

 

**4\. The Parents**

    Catelyn watched her rather large family from the kitchen, with a quiet sense of peace. Ever since her and Ned had Robb, they knew they would do anything necessary to keep their family safe this time around. Luckily the Gods did not seem to be out for their blood this time. Their eldest, now at the age of 27, sat next to his husband as they played a game of Hearts with their siblings. Without the weight of the North on his shoulders, Robb had grown into a confident and happy man, and without the threat of death at every corner, Theon was a much more open and caring soul. Her attention switched to Jon as he blushed furiously at something Ygritte whispered. When she first remembered everything, she was torn between guilt at the way she treated her nephew and anger that her husband didn't tell her the truth. After some time her and Ned had managed to overcome that obstacle and she remembered the quiet conversation her and Jon shared the weekend he returned after remembering. Her nephew has grown so much, and without the term bastard hanging over his head, he has never shared the broody look his past self had.

Sansa is one of Cat's happiest children. After all the suffering Cat watched her eldest daughter go through after her death, she cannot help but be grateful she was spared all that in this life. Yes she had a brief dalliance with Joffrey but that lasted barely over a month, and now she had Margaery in a way the two Ladies never would have been able to be together in the past, outside of Dorne at least. Catelyn is most thankful for the way Arya has turned out in this life. She remembers watching in horror as her strong willed little girl consumed herself with vengeance over her dead family and praying to the Old Gods and the New that her daughter would find her way back to herself. Now she watches as Arya smacks Gendry on the arm before leaning into him and switching cards under the table.

The night Bran and Rickon had remembered was on of the worst nights of Cat and Ned's life. Rickon only 8 years old and Bran 12. Rickon had come barging into their room in the middle of the night, sobbing and saying he didn't want to die. Bran followed behind his brother. He took one look at his parents and little brother and left. He didn't leave his clubhouse for 3 days and he wouldn't speak to anyone either. It took Rickon climbing onto his brother and begging him not to go away again, for him to come down. They found Osha as a struggling bartender and offered her a job as a nanny. Her presence helped Rickon, and he was so young when he died, that eventually he stopped thinking of Winterfell and merged seamlessly into the 21st century. The first 2 times Theon and Robb visited after Bran remembered, he hugged Robb breathless and refused to speak to Theon. This continued until Robb, Jon, Sansa, and even Arya spoke to him on separate occasions. Robb, Jon, and Sansa each said similar things, of what Theon had been through, and how sorry he was, and how he wished he could change things, but it was Arya who convinced him to give him a chance. No one knows what she said to him, but the next time Robb came, Bran asked where Theon was. Robb was so relieved Bran was forgiving him that he called Theon and told him to come over immediately, and proceeded to do anything Bran asked him to the rest of the weekend. Bran and Theon had a private talk, and since then the family has been impenetrable.

A hand snake around Catelyn's waist and she leaned back into her husband.

"We did good this time, right?" She asked quietly.

"The best."


End file.
